Baptism & Eucharist

“Through the Font, all the baptized turn to Christ and participate in his death, renounce the delusions of a world governed by the fear of death, and become Christ’s risen presence in the world.  At the Eucharistic table, the company of the baptized enacts its vision of the kingdom of God, a new world of truth-telling, justice, freedom, and love.  And the church orders itself sacramentally to live out its true calling: a life of apostolic witness, of formation in discipleship, and of service to the poor.” (From the Huron Statement)

The following resources are provided to help congregations enliven their understanding and practice of these central rites.

AP Brochure – Holy Baptism A Liturgical and Pastoral Commentary An update of the earlier Ministry I – Holy Baptism, providing detailed discussion of the pastoral, theological, and practical concerns of Christian initiation. 1987. Reprinted 1997.

AP Brochure – Parish Eucharist An update of AP’s first brochure to reflect the present prayer book, emphasizing the primacy of the Eucharist as the central act of every Sunday in parish life. 1987. Reprinted 1997.

2012 Huron Statement  – Font to Table: The Importance of Baptism before Eucharist

2007 Montreal Statement  – Communion in Christ: A Liturgical-Theological Reflection on Church Unity  “Our communion does not depend upon either juridical structures or doctrinal agreements. These, at best, may reflect our unity in Christ, but they do not effect it. Furthermore, they can sometimes become signs of disunity, rather than expressions of that unity which we have in the Lord. We are in communion with all with whom our Lord is in communion by virtue of our faith in one Lord, whether or not we live into and express that unity we have in Christ. Orthodox catholic tradition insists that the effectiveness of the sacraments does not stem from the doctrinal or moral correctness of the ministers of the sacrament. The sacraments bring about our union with each other and with Christ by making ordinary people, actions and things into outward and visible signs of inner grace. These signs constitute and bring about our participation in a new humanity, the Body of Christ, a sign to the world showing forth the holiness of creation in all its diversity.”

2006 Ellenton Statement – Baptism as Full Initiation & Recommendations to the 75th General Convention

1969 Statement –  The Admission of Children to Communion  “We believe our children should not be able to remember when they had not received communion. When they were baptized they were admitted to the church or koinonia, and the koinonia expresses its commonness in the eucharistic meal.”